SAN ANGELO - The No. 2/5 Angelo State women's basketball team continued its undefeated streak to start the season with a 78-71 win over Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday afternoon in the Stephens Arena at the Junell Center.

The Belles (12-0, 6-0 LSC) are off to the best start since the 2002-03 season when the team won the first 16 games of the season. ASU struggled from teh field only hitting 35.3-percent but was able to get to the free throw line hitting 23-of-33 against the Lions (9-4, 4-2 LSC). Texas A&M-Commerce outrebounded ASU 50-40 but committed 18 turnovers compared to just 13 for the Belles.  

"Texas A&M-Commerce had a really great game plan for us and they were daring us to make perimeter shots." Angelo State head women's basketball coach Kevin Baker said. "At half time we just talked about regrouping an executing our game, and in the second half we were able to do that. We got the ball back inside and hit some jump shots, and held our composure down the stretch to get the win." 
 

Taylor Dorsey led the way for the Belles in the matchup. The senior guard poured in 21 points, marking the eighth time this year she has scored more than 20 in a game. The senior also added in a pair of steals and five rebounds in her team-leading 34 minutes of play.

Christina Robinson followed up with a career-high in scoring 17 points against the Lions. The Arizona native added four assists and a pair of steals as well. The only other Belle to score in double-digits was post Jasmine Prophet. The senior got 12 points, all in the second half, and was helped by a 6-of-6 showing at the free throw line. The Jackson, Mississippi native also grabbing five boards .

Defensively, ASU was led by Chenelle Pelle, who blocked a career-high four shots in the matchup and recorded a pair of steals as well to go along with her four points.

ASU got in an early hole, giving up the first five  points of the game, but quickly tied the game up on a three-pointer from Robinson with 6:38 to play in the first quarter. The Belles would continue to roll, scoring the next ten points and building a 15-5 lead.

Texas A&M-Commerce slowly closed the gap and pulled within one at 17-16, but a jumper from Madi Greenwood to end the quarter put the Belles up by three.

The Lions continued to keep the game close during the second quarter, never trailing by more than eight. Texas A&M-Commerce took a five point lead with a minute and a half to play in the first half. The Belles trailed 37-33 for just the fourth time going into the break. 

The Lion lead would not last long once play resumed, however, as Angelo State started the half on a 7-3 run to start the third period to tie the game at 40 with 8:08 to go in the third. Keanna Kelly started teh half off with a 3-pointer. The score would remain close the rest of the period with neither team gaining more than a three-point advantage the rest of the quarter. TAMC would hit a jumper at the buzzer, bringing them within one to start the final period.

The fourth quarter, however, belonged to Taylor Dorsey and the Belles. The senior scored the first seven points of the period and poured in 12 points of ASU's 25 points in the fourth quarterl. A jumper from the Fort Worth native with 4:55 left gave the Belles a double-digit lead for the first time since the first quarter, and a made free throw from Robinson with 2:32 left would give the Belles their biggest lead at 12. A made three-pointer from the Lions with 17 seconds left cut the ASU lead to seven points, but it would be too little, too late as the Belles held on for a 78-71 victory.

ASU will be on the road for its next two matchups, taking on West Texas A&M at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12 in Canyon before facing UTPB at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 in Odessa, Texas.